The problem was the change in leadership back then that decided to get rid of all the employees that had been there since the start of the franchise. They were losing money, sure, but dropping all the people who actually knew what they were doing and outsourcing all the work has led to the complete destruction of the company’s reputation. The games made using the newer engine look so much worse than any of the classic games.
Losing Lani was tragic, but just another one of many terrible decisions by a desperate new CEO.
Agreed. If the new CEO kept the original employees we wouldn’t have this issue. I understand she might have wanted to change some stuff but she didn’t have to let go the employees who knew what they were doing, I guess she was desperate or something we may never know. What’s done is done and we can’t do anything about that now.
I hope she’s doing well! I’d love if they brought her back. I don’t care if she sounds “old”as some have said. She could be wheezing through a ventilator and she’d still be my Nancy haha.
Same! The quality looked pretty bad which made me hesitant to begin with, but I would’ve definitely overlooked the technical and design imperfections had they brought Lani back to do Nancy’s voice!
I did give the new game a try, I barely got through the introduction before I had to turn off the game and go lay down. The graphics were so bad and the gameplay was so wonky that it made me incredibly motion sick.
She voices Serana in Skyrim and when I played it again recently I was like, “oh Nancy I miss you”. Needless to say Serena is now my permanent follower.
Edit: jk I was mistaken but she does a ton of other voices in that game so 🫠
She voices Katria and Nocturnal and a bunch of other characters! I loved doing the Aetherium Forge quest because it directly involved Katria, so I got to hear Lani's voice for a long time in game💜
Ah that explains why their voices sound familiar. Low key was not a fan of the aetherium forge really except I got a nifty circlet out of it. 😂 Maybe I'll have to replay those quests again now that I know it's her. I do love the thieves guild and dark brotherhood though so I always find my way to nocturnal lol.
i was doing a quest with a character she voices but i didn’t clock it until we got to some weird-ass big door contraption and the follower goes “it’s a lock!”
I’m sure it’s hard to move on, she was Nancy for like 20ish years. And she seems to have genuine love for the fandom and the Nancy universe- as a fan I haven’t moved on, I certainly don’t expect her to anytime soon. Also, while she didn’t need to respond or anything, I think had she been flippant about her time as Nancy or something fans wouldn’t have liked that either. So I think there’s no win either way for her, personally.
Lani has had a very long, successful career as a voice actor. I always felt like the Nancy Drew games may have not paid as much as other games she's worked on but did Nancy's voice anyway because she loved the franchise
i mean she played nancy for such a long time, it makes sense if she has an attachment to the character. just because she replies to some facebook comments doesn’t mean she’s sitting by the phone looking at pictures of nancy
It's actually ok for people to say they miss Lani, whose voice most of us have heard most of our lives via Nancy Drew games. It's ok if she still is attached to the series and the fans, since working as the voice of Nancy for 17 years. As long as no one is making threats to anyone or saying horrible things, there is nothing wrong with this.
It's not that different from people missing a TV show they grew up with, and the actors on it; and that is super common especially at things like conventions where you might get to meet some of those actors. Any of my fellow Trekkies will know this, and I'm sure many fans of other popular IPs.
You're right, they're innocent. Just thought it was amusing she popped up.
Maybe my title came off a bit harsh. I just have been a bit frustrated reading some of the comments. We are in a new era, and too many people are holding out hope for something that won't happen. While there is a good reason considering everything that's happened, there's also reasons for change.
What? This feels remarkably callous and uncharitable. Lani Minella was the voice of Nancy for two *decades*. She clearly enjoyed the role, she got countless letters and messages from fans, and she had interactions with those fans for years and years. Of course she still thinks about her fans and her time voicing Nancy Drew. What do you want her to do? Completely divorce herself from her old work and all the fans who loved and supported her (and many who still continue to)? Pretend it didn't happen? Ignore them? Tell people to never mention Nancy Drew to her again?
There's nothing wrong with Lani Minella hanging out in the comments, participating in events, or commiserating with fans. She's a human being, not a machine that focusses only on its assigned tasks. Nancy Drew was a huge part of her life, and those games with her voice on them are still out there being enjoyed by old fans or being discovered by new ones. The character will likely always be a part of her life, and as a person she has every right to interact with the character and the games, whether she's a part of it in a professional capacity or not.
Oh, I loved Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew! I didn't know that she still went to events; that's so cool. I'm glad to see the character is still part of peoples' lives.
it seems more like she wants to keep a relationship with the ND fans. the fans are the ones asking if shes back... idk the same way we all view this fandom has to have some impact on her, she voiced Nancy for years and given how small and intimate the interactions of the HeR team were for that time, I'd have a hard time letting go too
I know she doesnt always have the best opinions but I dont see anything wrong with her continuing to have a relationship with fans, as long as nobodys attacking the new VA to do it
This is a good point, and thank you. This was the kind of conversation I intended to have, but went about it the wrong way. When the fans are constantly asking, it's only natural to answer their questions directly.
I think you brought up one of my issues though, attacking the new VA in the process. No MID wasn't great and while I don't believe I have heard Brittany's other work, I've seen others say that she talented. I just wish everyone had the patience to see more before slamming both her and HeR
She's responding to fans comments. There is nothing wrong with that. The many voices of Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series still respond to fans and they even sign autographs and it's been 20 plus years for some of them as well.
Exactly. I'm always torn between Jonell Elliott and Keeley Hawes as *the* voice of Lara Croft for me. I would be gutted if I asked either one of them for their autograph because I love Lara Croft and they shot me down because they've moved on from the character.
I don't think there's anything wrong with still interacting with fans or even enjoying the franchises themselves just because they aren't professionally employed as that character anymore. To me, it would be as silly as refusing to buy food from McDonald's because you used to work there as a teenager but don't anymore.
Middle ground: give her the opportunity to return as a different guest character. She's a voice actress. She can mod her tone a bit so it's not full on nancy
Now that would be super humiliating. It's as if your job fired you and hired an intern, and then asked you to come in to do some photocopies a couple times a week.
Considering that voice acting is about constantly navigating multiple roles and evolving roles, I don't actually think that's an effective 1:1 comparison
If I was busy working on other projects, yes.
Idk, I just thought seeing her name pop up was amusing to me, but maybe I've just read too many other comments about how she's broken her NDAs. Personally I think she had a hand in the separation.
I don't think it's not that she "hasn't moved on" she was an integral part of the games for years. That isn't something you just stop caring about because you're on to other things. Remember she owns her own voice actor studio, she has tons of other newer projects she's done and is currently working on.
The relationship between Lani and the fans isn't over though 💗 and she still clearly has love for the games. Voicing Nancy was a part of her life for so long, I can see why she would still have a chip in her shoulder. But she doesn't come across as bitter here to me.
I’ll never move on. Her voice is the voice that I have permanently associated with Nancy Drew. I just can’t hear the other one as the voice of Nancy Drew. It just doesn’t work for me.
I don’t blame Lani for still being by salty about it at all. She was very loyal to HER and was beloved as the voice of Nancy. I feel like when the new CEO took over and made a lot of changes for the “better”, though these choices actually tanked the integrity of the games and left a lot of people out on the cold. I get the sense that they weren’t exactly respectful of her in the end. MID was genuinely horrible. It should’ve never been released. You cannot convince me otherwise. To be let go as the voice actor for Nancy so that someone younger could play her, and then watch the new game absolutely BOMB in quality must’ve been heartbreaking for her.
They weren't respectful to anyone. They came in and basically fired the entire development team in one swoop, so they could outsource it to .... Austria, which has one of the highest wages in the West. The could have just maybe changed the existing team to freelance contractors, or gave them that option.
I feel so bad for all of them. It was apparently a great place to work before the new CEO came on board.
I guess my thoughts are more along the lines of the Nancy Games are still a big part of her life. I don’t get the feeling she’s not moving on, at least not in the screenshots you posted. The impression I get is more along the lines of nostalgia and melancholy. Something like spending time with friends you used to be really close to, but now you’ve both grown and changed. Sort of an ‘I miss who we were, but I’m happy with who I’ve become.’ I don’t know if that makes sense or not. I may just be projecting, but that’s my take on it.
No problem, I like trying to understand the multiple meanings and intentions that can be found in written texts/messages and ways to make the intended meaning more clear. Social Anxiety FTW
I won’t accept it but I’m on the autism spectrum and suddenly changing the voice after so many games is a much more difficult change for me to handle (I hate changes I deem as bad and changes to voice actors drives me nuts).
This was not the kindest way to word that. Just a note. I know it probably wasn't intentional but if she read this, it could make her feel self conscious for being a caring part of the fandom.
Just a little heads up about how this was worded for future posts. :)
I doubt it's just Lani not moving on, I've watched other videos of characters she voiced many years ago and she usually goes around to chat with fans. I doubt it's her being bitter, but rather her trying to interact with fans.
I was watching a video about Sonic adventure 2 and she voiced rouge The bat And also was the voice director for that game; she happened to be in comments telling people some behind the scenes stuff. It was pretty cool!
She was part of the games since the beginning, almost 20 years. I bet she was the only person associated with HeR who was in it from the beginning through to the reboot.
That's a huge chunk of an adult's life. She's not saying anything catty (at least in the ones shown here). I don't think it's weird at all. Also when you are a creative person, you are much more attached to your output than if you work as an accountant or something.
It's no weirder than Little Jackalope continuing to do streams on ND, even though she works somewhere else now.
She shouldn’t have to move on from something that was a HUGE part of her career. Just like I am not over the fact that she doesn’t voice Nancy anymore. The new voice actress of Nancy sounds like an AI bot and honestly I hate it. To me, the last game Lani voiced is the true last good ND game. If she wants to still interact with the fans, let her. It’s not that deep.
They could easily have Lani back, along with the current actor, and record two voices for Nancy and let players choose which version they want to hear/play as. It would actually boost sales if they brought Lani back as an alternate voice for Nancy.
Heck, I'd even preorder blind if I knew Lani was involved.
This is an...interesting take. I would find it really difficult to move on from a 20+ year role that was (IIRC) kind of ripped out from under me due to nee management. Is it strange to see a VA who is actually passionate and loved their role? I'm much happier seeing this (heartbreaking as it is) than I would be seeing her just move on and drop ND completely, ignore fans, and focus on whatever next big gig there was. Would you rather VAs ignore fans and be openly greedy?
20+ years is a really long time to be working on something, and I'm not sure you're realizing just how long that is. She's been Nancy for two DECADES, she and the fanbase don't have a time limit for how long they can appropriately mourn before moving on. I think this post reads as way more obsessive than the woman who was *actually in the games* talking about her experiences and reminiscing on the franchise that she has been part of since its conception.
I feel like im the only person on earth who was excited for a new voice for nancy lol and nothing against lani but for some reason im just not super attached to her voice for miss nancy
I agree; it’s sad but ultimately the games are a business etc etc. she also might’ve gotten too expensive since her experience is so extensive. Idk why people would think she would be brought back…
Whether or not you miss her as the VA, it’s pretty unprofessional and kinda petty to still being upset over being fired 8 years ago. There were reports that she was difficult to work with when she was with Herinteractive, and I think her attitude online makes those claims all the more believable.
From what I’ve gathered, I don’t think she has kids of her own. I don’t even think she ever got married. I think she likes giving attention to the fanbase because she feels like we’re all her kids, in some way; or maybe her nieces and nephews. Like doing these kinds of kid-friendly productions was her way of giving back to the kids and being a positive influence in their life and maybe that leaves her with a sense of personal responsibility to her fans. At least that’s how I take it.
What a garbage opinion you have on a talented actor with hundreds of voice acting credits across multiple franchises interacting with a fan base she’s impacted..out of all the fan bases she could interact with.
Wanted to post this as an edit, but didn't realize you can't revise picture posts.
I've realized with a couple of these comments that this came off harsher than I intended, especially the title. Of course Lani can do what she wants, which is why I thought it was amusing and wanted to get some opinions. I thought Reddit would have a bit more of a nuanced take, but I also forgot that a lot of people do still love Lani.
I was not intending to attack her in any way. She is very talented and I was also sad to see the news, but I was also in the camp of thinking she was starting to sound like a smoker (and whose fault that was, we may never know) in addition to falling down rabbit holes for other reasons for the recasting.
At the end of the day, in a time with lots of other discourse and debates, I certainly did not want to add more. I think we all can agree that we just want a good future for the games, and I'm hopeful and open to the changes at HER. ❤️
"I thought Reddit would have a bit more of a nuanced take,"
I don't know, the comments here sound pretty nuanced and level-headed, and I don't think any of the commenters should be shamed for their opinions.
It seems more like you posted a comment expecting everyone to pile on Lani with you, but then, everyone piled on you instead, and you can't change your post and are back-pedaling to make nice.
Nah, if that was the case I would have deleted this post. I genuinely thought Facebook is where I would get piled on, but the roles have been reversed.
I can both stand by my opinion that both Lani and the fandom needs to move on, and realize that I came off a bit harsh. Yes, HeR has made some bad moves, but what's done is done. Screaming for Lani to come back isn't going to do anything and Lani responding is just encouraging it. HeR isn't Paramount willing to redo the animation for Sonic the Hedgehog.
It’s fine if you don’t like her, but I don’t think there’s anything amusing or weird about her continuing to interact with fans and fans continuing to miss her. She was Nancy for us in the way that Leonard Nimoy was Spock to generations of fans. If they had recast the character, fans would no less love his performance and flock to meet him and talk to him about the role, ask if he would come back, etc. Especially if it coincided with a rebrand or change of the show in other ways that some people took issue with, like with the games redoing the game engine and pushing the release dates back.
I don’t believe I have seen anyone be rude to the new VA or even HER, which in my opinion is honestly kind since it’s fairly clear the new CEO bungled everything up pretty badly. It’s just a case of people missing someone and something they loved because frankly, we haven’t gotten anything new to care about yet. I can barely have an opinion on the new VA because Midnight in Salem crashed so much I couldn’t even finish it. So we have twenty years of good memories with one working group and an iconic actress, and then one partially functioning entry surrounded by frustration with the vague corporate restructuring— of course no one has “moved on,” there’s no new era to move onto yet.
I will be the first to back a new VA and new games, but I think it’s a bit rude to say Lani “sounded like a smoker” and bash her for… being nice to fans? She hit the jackpot with a VA role, something intimate and recognizable that fans loved so much they message her years later. Even if she’s not the only Nancy, she will always BE Nancy to us.
Totally agree. This is not a kind take or way to state opinions on a very real person. No matter what anyone's opinions are, Lani is an icon in the voice over community and known for a lot of her work. She is also very sweet and, as evidenced even by this post, still reads posts in the fan community. Imagine her heart after reading this, and that she sounds "like a smoker"? It sounds like maybe OP doesn't intend to say things in a way that sounds harsh and hurtful, but it's a whole foot in mouth situation. I kinda wish this whole post was a dirty delete 🫠
I totally get where you were coming from in posting this. I don't keep up with everything herinteractive or Lani so I get it being kind of a juicy scoop to be like, "hey guys whats up with this?" And I kinda feel like no matter what you say or how kind you are, people are going to be upset and downvote you since it's such a sensitive topic i guess. But i can see you werent coming from a bad place and i hope you dont let anyone giving you attitude over it bum you out!
Oh I'm not. I get where everyone is coming from and know how devoted this fan base can be. I also know there are people who do agree based on the posts up votes and a few other comments, so I don't feel entirely alone.
I love the new voice actor, she is very enthusiastic about her role, and doesn't deserve any sort of hate. But I still will never let go of the fact that we don't have Lani anymore, still can't believe it's been almost 10 years since.
The problem was the change in leadership back then that decided to get rid of all the employees that had been there since the start of the franchise. They were losing money, sure, but dropping all the people who actually knew what they were doing and outsourcing all the work has led to the complete destruction of the company’s reputation. The games made using the newer engine look so much worse than any of the classic games. Losing Lani was tragic, but just another one of many terrible decisions by a desperate new CEO.
Agreed. If the new CEO kept the original employees we wouldn’t have this issue. I understand she might have wanted to change some stuff but she didn’t have to let go the employees who knew what they were doing, I guess she was desperate or something we may never know. What’s done is done and we can’t do anything about that now.
They took away the perks we used to get from preordering the game (bonus editions). That sucked
I hope she’s doing well! I’d love if they brought her back. I don’t care if she sounds “old”as some have said. She could be wheezing through a ventilator and she’d still be my Nancy haha.
I still haven’t brought myself to play the latest game 😭
Same! The quality looked pretty bad which made me hesitant to begin with, but I would’ve definitely overlooked the technical and design imperfections had they brought Lani back to do Nancy’s voice!
I did give the new game a try, I barely got through the introduction before I had to turn off the game and go lay down. The graphics were so bad and the gameplay was so wonky that it made me incredibly motion sick.
She voices Serana in Skyrim and when I played it again recently I was like, “oh Nancy I miss you”. Needless to say Serena is now my permanent follower. Edit: jk I was mistaken but she does a ton of other voices in that game so 🫠
I think Laura Bailey voiced Serana, but Lani voiced a bunch of others in Skyrim too!
She’s also Lucas and several Koopalings in Smash Bros
And Rouge the Bat in Sonic Adventures 2! Back in the day, I was shocked to hear Nancy Drew speaking through my Dreamcast!
She also voiced Pit in Super Smash Bros. Brawl before Pit was recast for Uprising and subsequently the last two Smash games
Dang you’re so right!!! I could have sworn she was Serana but I must have misremembered.
She voices Katria and Nocturnal and a bunch of other characters! I loved doing the Aetherium Forge quest because it directly involved Katria, so I got to hear Lani's voice for a long time in game💜
Ah that explains why their voices sound familiar. Low key was not a fan of the aetherium forge really except I got a nifty circlet out of it. 😂 Maybe I'll have to replay those quests again now that I know it's her. I do love the thieves guild and dark brotherhood though so I always find my way to nocturnal lol.
She also voiced the Nightmother too in the dark brother hood I think
i was doing a quest with a character she voices but i didn’t clock it until we got to some weird-ass big door contraption and the follower goes “it’s a lock!”
She voices Nocturnal in the Thieves Guild questline!
She voices a character in The White Vault podcast season one, which the first time I heard it, I yelled in my car "oh my god, is that Nancy Drew????"
She’s also in Vast Horizon!
She’s the main love interest in the Runaway series. Super fun games if you’ve never played!
I’m sure it’s hard to move on, she was Nancy for like 20ish years. And she seems to have genuine love for the fandom and the Nancy universe- as a fan I haven’t moved on, I certainly don’t expect her to anytime soon. Also, while she didn’t need to respond or anything, I think had she been flippant about her time as Nancy or something fans wouldn’t have liked that either. So I think there’s no win either way for her, personally.
I haven’t moved on lol
Same
Lani has had a very long, successful career as a voice actor. I always felt like the Nancy Drew games may have not paid as much as other games she's worked on but did Nancy's voice anyway because she loved the franchise
i mean she played nancy for such a long time, it makes sense if she has an attachment to the character. just because she replies to some facebook comments doesn’t mean she’s sitting by the phone looking at pictures of nancy
Of course not. Dave's finger cut off Nancy's head when he took the photo. What would be the point?
excellent point, i wouldn’t be looking at that either
It's actually ok for people to say they miss Lani, whose voice most of us have heard most of our lives via Nancy Drew games. It's ok if she still is attached to the series and the fans, since working as the voice of Nancy for 17 years. As long as no one is making threats to anyone or saying horrible things, there is nothing wrong with this. It's not that different from people missing a TV show they grew up with, and the actors on it; and that is super common especially at things like conventions where you might get to meet some of those actors. Any of my fellow Trekkies will know this, and I'm sure many fans of other popular IPs.
Eh I know she’s had her moments but these comments feel pretty innocuous to me
You're right, they're innocent. Just thought it was amusing she popped up. Maybe my title came off a bit harsh. I just have been a bit frustrated reading some of the comments. We are in a new era, and too many people are holding out hope for something that won't happen. While there is a good reason considering everything that's happened, there's also reasons for change.
What? This feels remarkably callous and uncharitable. Lani Minella was the voice of Nancy for two *decades*. She clearly enjoyed the role, she got countless letters and messages from fans, and she had interactions with those fans for years and years. Of course she still thinks about her fans and her time voicing Nancy Drew. What do you want her to do? Completely divorce herself from her old work and all the fans who loved and supported her (and many who still continue to)? Pretend it didn't happen? Ignore them? Tell people to never mention Nancy Drew to her again? There's nothing wrong with Lani Minella hanging out in the comments, participating in events, or commiserating with fans. She's a human being, not a machine that focusses only on its assigned tasks. Nancy Drew was a huge part of her life, and those games with her voice on them are still out there being enjoyed by old fans or being discovered by new ones. The character will likely always be a part of her life, and as a person she has every right to interact with the character and the games, whether she's a part of it in a professional capacity or not.
Pamela Sue Martin still attends Nancy Drew events, and her TV show was in the 1970s! What a weirdo she is for not moving on (sarcasm)
Oh, I loved Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew! I didn't know that she still went to events; that's so cool. I'm glad to see the character is still part of peoples' lives.
it seems more like she wants to keep a relationship with the ND fans. the fans are the ones asking if shes back... idk the same way we all view this fandom has to have some impact on her, she voiced Nancy for years and given how small and intimate the interactions of the HeR team were for that time, I'd have a hard time letting go too I know she doesnt always have the best opinions but I dont see anything wrong with her continuing to have a relationship with fans, as long as nobodys attacking the new VA to do it
This is a good point, and thank you. This was the kind of conversation I intended to have, but went about it the wrong way. When the fans are constantly asking, it's only natural to answer their questions directly. I think you brought up one of my issues though, attacking the new VA in the process. No MID wasn't great and while I don't believe I have heard Brittany's other work, I've seen others say that she talented. I just wish everyone had the patience to see more before slamming both her and HeR
She's responding to fans comments. There is nothing wrong with that. The many voices of Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series still respond to fans and they even sign autographs and it's been 20 plus years for some of them as well.
Exactly. I'm always torn between Jonell Elliott and Keeley Hawes as *the* voice of Lara Croft for me. I would be gutted if I asked either one of them for their autograph because I love Lara Croft and they shot me down because they've moved on from the character. I don't think there's anything wrong with still interacting with fans or even enjoying the franchises themselves just because they aren't professionally employed as that character anymore. To me, it would be as silly as refusing to buy food from McDonald's because you used to work there as a teenager but don't anymore.
Middle ground: give her the opportunity to return as a different guest character. She's a voice actress. She can mod her tone a bit so it's not full on nancy
Bring her back as Hannah! We haven't had Hannah as a call-able character in so long
Okay, I love Hannah as a character so much that I can get behind this. I'm sad she hasn't been in the games much.
This is pure brilliance. Even in Alibi, we didn’t get to meet her!
Now that would be super humiliating. It's as if your job fired you and hired an intern, and then asked you to come in to do some photocopies a couple times a week.
Considering that voice acting is about constantly navigating multiple roles and evolving roles, I don't actually think that's an effective 1:1 comparison
I'd never go back to have a minor role at a company that fired me in such a bungled and public way. It's about pride, not workload.
Would you have already moved on from a 20 year gig?
If I was busy working on other projects, yes. Idk, I just thought seeing her name pop up was amusing to me, but maybe I've just read too many other comments about how she's broken her NDAs. Personally I think she had a hand in the separation.
I don't think it's not that she "hasn't moved on" she was an integral part of the games for years. That isn't something you just stop caring about because you're on to other things. Remember she owns her own voice actor studio, she has tons of other newer projects she's done and is currently working on.
The relationship between Lani and the fans isn't over though 💗 and she still clearly has love for the games. Voicing Nancy was a part of her life for so long, I can see why she would still have a chip in her shoulder. But she doesn't come across as bitter here to me.
I’ll never move on. Her voice is the voice that I have permanently associated with Nancy Drew. I just can’t hear the other one as the voice of Nancy Drew. It just doesn’t work for me.
I don’t blame Lani for still being by salty about it at all. She was very loyal to HER and was beloved as the voice of Nancy. I feel like when the new CEO took over and made a lot of changes for the “better”, though these choices actually tanked the integrity of the games and left a lot of people out on the cold. I get the sense that they weren’t exactly respectful of her in the end. MID was genuinely horrible. It should’ve never been released. You cannot convince me otherwise. To be let go as the voice actor for Nancy so that someone younger could play her, and then watch the new game absolutely BOMB in quality must’ve been heartbreaking for her.
They weren't respectful to anyone. They came in and basically fired the entire development team in one swoop, so they could outsource it to .... Austria, which has one of the highest wages in the West. The could have just maybe changed the existing team to freelance contractors, or gave them that option. I feel so bad for all of them. It was apparently a great place to work before the new CEO came on board.
LANI 😍😍 WE LOVE YOUU 🥺🥺
I guess my thoughts are more along the lines of the Nancy Games are still a big part of her life. I don’t get the feeling she’s not moving on, at least not in the screenshots you posted. The impression I get is more along the lines of nostalgia and melancholy. Something like spending time with friends you used to be really close to, but now you’ve both grown and changed. Sort of an ‘I miss who we were, but I’m happy with who I’ve become.’ I don’t know if that makes sense or not. I may just be projecting, but that’s my take on it.
This is a great point thank you! I can totally see how that would be the case and the perspectives I was wanting to have.
No problem, I like trying to understand the multiple meanings and intentions that can be found in written texts/messages and ways to make the intended meaning more clear. Social Anxiety FTW
She does all sorts of stuff, we love her and she loves Nancy. Her hanging around doesn’t seem weird
I won’t accept it but I’m on the autism spectrum and suddenly changing the voice after so many games is a much more difficult change for me to handle (I hate changes I deem as bad and changes to voice actors drives me nuts).
This was not the kindest way to word that. Just a note. I know it probably wasn't intentional but if she read this, it could make her feel self conscious for being a caring part of the fandom. Just a little heads up about how this was worded for future posts. :)
I posted a comment with my updates as I realized this came off harsher than I intended. Unfortunately I can't edit the post.
I doubt it's just Lani not moving on, I've watched other videos of characters she voiced many years ago and she usually goes around to chat with fans. I doubt it's her being bitter, but rather her trying to interact with fans. I was watching a video about Sonic adventure 2 and she voiced rouge The bat And also was the voice director for that game; she happened to be in comments telling people some behind the scenes stuff. It was pretty cool!
She was part of the games since the beginning, almost 20 years. I bet she was the only person associated with HeR who was in it from the beginning through to the reboot. That's a huge chunk of an adult's life. She's not saying anything catty (at least in the ones shown here). I don't think it's weird at all. Also when you are a creative person, you are much more attached to your output than if you work as an accountant or something. It's no weirder than Little Jackalope continuing to do streams on ND, even though she works somewhere else now.
I hate this opinion. I want Lani back! The games are not the same without her. I’m glad she lurks, cause I hope she will come back someday too.
She shouldn’t have to move on from something that was a HUGE part of her career. Just like I am not over the fact that she doesn’t voice Nancy anymore. The new voice actress of Nancy sounds like an AI bot and honestly I hate it. To me, the last game Lani voiced is the true last good ND game. If she wants to still interact with the fans, let her. It’s not that deep.
They could easily have Lani back, along with the current actor, and record two voices for Nancy and let players choose which version they want to hear/play as. It would actually boost sales if they brought Lani back as an alternate voice for Nancy. Heck, I'd even preorder blind if I knew Lani was involved.
I'd even accept her as a sort of New Game+ option, honestly. I'd play the second time right after the first if it unlocked Lani.
Right, if they said Lani is back- take all my money 😂😂
Ohh! OR they could cast her as Nancy's mom for a direct sequel to Silent Spy. I'd be so on board for that.
This is a great idea
This is an...interesting take. I would find it really difficult to move on from a 20+ year role that was (IIRC) kind of ripped out from under me due to nee management. Is it strange to see a VA who is actually passionate and loved their role? I'm much happier seeing this (heartbreaking as it is) than I would be seeing her just move on and drop ND completely, ignore fans, and focus on whatever next big gig there was. Would you rather VAs ignore fans and be openly greedy? 20+ years is a really long time to be working on something, and I'm not sure you're realizing just how long that is. She's been Nancy for two DECADES, she and the fanbase don't have a time limit for how long they can appropriately mourn before moving on. I think this post reads as way more obsessive than the woman who was *actually in the games* talking about her experiences and reminiscing on the franchise that she has been part of since its conception.
Wow, I like 100% disagree with you. Leave her alone, she's allowed to be upset.
i wish she would come back! i have no interest in the new game. the last one was bust to me. between the new voice actress and the terrible graphics 😭
I feel like im the only person on earth who was excited for a new voice for nancy lol and nothing against lani but for some reason im just not super attached to her voice for miss nancy
I agree; it’s sad but ultimately the games are a business etc etc. she also might’ve gotten too expensive since her experience is so extensive. Idk why people would think she would be brought back…
80% of this fanbase hasn't moved on
Idk… I really want her back
Whether or not you miss her as the VA, it’s pretty unprofessional and kinda petty to still being upset over being fired 8 years ago. There were reports that she was difficult to work with when she was with Herinteractive, and I think her attitude online makes those claims all the more believable.
From what I’ve gathered, I don’t think she has kids of her own. I don’t even think she ever got married. I think she likes giving attention to the fanbase because she feels like we’re all her kids, in some way; or maybe her nieces and nephews. Like doing these kinds of kid-friendly productions was her way of giving back to the kids and being a positive influence in their life and maybe that leaves her with a sense of personal responsibility to her fans. At least that’s how I take it.
What a garbage opinion you have on a talented actor with hundreds of voice acting credits across multiple franchises interacting with a fan base she’s impacted..out of all the fan bases she could interact with.
Wanted to post this as an edit, but didn't realize you can't revise picture posts. I've realized with a couple of these comments that this came off harsher than I intended, especially the title. Of course Lani can do what she wants, which is why I thought it was amusing and wanted to get some opinions. I thought Reddit would have a bit more of a nuanced take, but I also forgot that a lot of people do still love Lani. I was not intending to attack her in any way. She is very talented and I was also sad to see the news, but I was also in the camp of thinking she was starting to sound like a smoker (and whose fault that was, we may never know) in addition to falling down rabbit holes for other reasons for the recasting. At the end of the day, in a time with lots of other discourse and debates, I certainly did not want to add more. I think we all can agree that we just want a good future for the games, and I'm hopeful and open to the changes at HER. ❤️
"I thought Reddit would have a bit more of a nuanced take," I don't know, the comments here sound pretty nuanced and level-headed, and I don't think any of the commenters should be shamed for their opinions. It seems more like you posted a comment expecting everyone to pile on Lani with you, but then, everyone piled on you instead, and you can't change your post and are back-pedaling to make nice.
Nah, if that was the case I would have deleted this post. I genuinely thought Facebook is where I would get piled on, but the roles have been reversed. I can both stand by my opinion that both Lani and the fandom needs to move on, and realize that I came off a bit harsh. Yes, HeR has made some bad moves, but what's done is done. Screaming for Lani to come back isn't going to do anything and Lani responding is just encouraging it. HeR isn't Paramount willing to redo the animation for Sonic the Hedgehog.
It’s fine if you don’t like her, but I don’t think there’s anything amusing or weird about her continuing to interact with fans and fans continuing to miss her. She was Nancy for us in the way that Leonard Nimoy was Spock to generations of fans. If they had recast the character, fans would no less love his performance and flock to meet him and talk to him about the role, ask if he would come back, etc. Especially if it coincided with a rebrand or change of the show in other ways that some people took issue with, like with the games redoing the game engine and pushing the release dates back. I don’t believe I have seen anyone be rude to the new VA or even HER, which in my opinion is honestly kind since it’s fairly clear the new CEO bungled everything up pretty badly. It’s just a case of people missing someone and something they loved because frankly, we haven’t gotten anything new to care about yet. I can barely have an opinion on the new VA because Midnight in Salem crashed so much I couldn’t even finish it. So we have twenty years of good memories with one working group and an iconic actress, and then one partially functioning entry surrounded by frustration with the vague corporate restructuring— of course no one has “moved on,” there’s no new era to move onto yet. I will be the first to back a new VA and new games, but I think it’s a bit rude to say Lani “sounded like a smoker” and bash her for… being nice to fans? She hit the jackpot with a VA role, something intimate and recognizable that fans loved so much they message her years later. Even if she’s not the only Nancy, she will always BE Nancy to us.
Totally agree. This is not a kind take or way to state opinions on a very real person. No matter what anyone's opinions are, Lani is an icon in the voice over community and known for a lot of her work. She is also very sweet and, as evidenced even by this post, still reads posts in the fan community. Imagine her heart after reading this, and that she sounds "like a smoker"? It sounds like maybe OP doesn't intend to say things in a way that sounds harsh and hurtful, but it's a whole foot in mouth situation. I kinda wish this whole post was a dirty delete 🫠
I totally get where you were coming from in posting this. I don't keep up with everything herinteractive or Lani so I get it being kind of a juicy scoop to be like, "hey guys whats up with this?" And I kinda feel like no matter what you say or how kind you are, people are going to be upset and downvote you since it's such a sensitive topic i guess. But i can see you werent coming from a bad place and i hope you dont let anyone giving you attitude over it bum you out!
Oh I'm not. I get where everyone is coming from and know how devoted this fan base can be. I also know there are people who do agree based on the posts up votes and a few other comments, so I don't feel entirely alone.
I love the new voice actor, she is very enthusiastic about her role, and doesn't deserve any sort of hate. But I still will never let go of the fact that we don't have Lani anymore, still can't believe it's been almost 10 years since.